Colony birdhouse



I Jnited.v States v mg y Qi 6,

` '2,944,515 coLoNYBnrDHoUsE v Joseph H. Mura, 1'627 N. Main S't., Racine, Wis. FiledSept. 18, 1958, Ser. No. 761,883

=4 claims. (Cl. 11a-z3) This invention relates to a colony birdhouse.

It is an object of this invention to provide a colony birdhouse, which is simple to manufacture,-light in `weight and easy to maintain including setting up and taking down to andfrom, respectively, its position of elevation for use by birds. In accomplishing these objects, this particular birdhouse is made almost entirely of lightweight metal and thel design is such that the formingof the various parts and the assembly of the parts are relatively simple and inexpensive, and because the structure is of metal, the house is vermin-proof.

Another object of this invention is to provide a colony birdhouse which is designed for assembly with and removal from the pole or support which maintains the birdhouse in the elevated position. In this instance, once a user has obtained the birdhouse, he need only obtain a standard threaded pipe which is usedA asthe pole in sup-V porting the birdhouse, and the` assembly of house and pole is very easily accomplished by simply threading the houseonto the pole, and thus the house can be removed 'from the polevfor storage, maintenance, or any other reason.` Y

Still another and important object ofths invention is I to provide a colony birdhouse which is ventilated, as desired by the birds occupying the house.v

Still other objects include the provision of a birdhouse.,fr

lwhich oiers a minimum of wind resistance, which has removable floors Vin each compartment ofthe house for the purpose of cleaning the compartments and for keeping the sparrows and other unwanted birds out of the house When the house is not 'being occupied by martins or the mounted in any direction Without requiring an orientation to a front, since the house is uniform on all sides.

These and other objects and advantages will become more readily apparent upon reading the following description in light of the `accompanying drawings wherein: y Fig. 1 is a side-elevational View of acolony birdhouse showing a preferred embodiment of this invention, and showing a fragment of the pipe on which the house is supported.y v Y v l 1 i Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of that shown in Fig. l, but withonly two of the six perch'es being shown.

disposed -awayy from the axis of the opening 18, and,

therefore-.rain and snow and the like cannot enter the compartments through the roof opening 18. A oor 19 is preferably made of a breboard material and it is removably attached to the bottom of each. of the compartments'10 -by means of brads or fasteners 21, which pass through the compartments 10 and enter the floors `19. It is desirable to have the floors 19 removable for purposes of cleaning aswell as keeping the floors oi the house so that when martins or desirable birds are searching for a house in the spring of the year, the sparrows will not have -already occupied the house, since the sparrows cannot nest or live in the house without the hoor. Of course, eventually, the Ifloor is placed in the position shown so that `when the martins are ready to occupy, they can use the house with the floor. Perchesl 22 are shown attached by staples 23 or the like to the bottom of the oors `19, and it will, of course, be understood that a perch 22 is attached to each of the iioors 19. In using a screen type of perch, it has been found that birds which are about Vready to learn yto y will not go out ofthe house through the opening 1T since, when they lookv through the opening they can .see down to the ground, and the birds, therefore, will not leave the house and they will not, therefore, fall'to the ground. 4

Fig. V3 particularly shows the connection between ther;v fpipe11 and thev house. #Here itywill be seen -that two Y In this manner, the house is actually secured to the pipe Fig. 3 Vis Ya sectionalview fra-kenV on the line 3 3 of Fig. l. f The same reference vnumerals refer to the same parts throughout the several views.

, The drawings show a colony birdhouse with six corny l f tend outwardly from the upper edges 13 andA rivets -16 'Y or the like attach the roof to the tabs 14 as shown.

As shown in Fig. 3, the upper edges 13 are disposed at an yangle or incline which is lessrthanV the'incline or upper end 29 and it is also guided by the lower plate 24, so that the house is firmly mounted onV the pipe 1-1 and it can be readilyassem-bled therewith` and, of course, readily removed from the pipe 11. Also, the compartments 10 are shown to overlap and form a seam along a line through the point where they are riveted to the plates 24. And, of course, the compartments consist of the sheet metal, preferably aluminum, which is formed into the cylindrical shape shown inthe drawings.k The hexagonal shape of the plates 24 as well as the circular shape of the oors 19 along with the roof 12 and its attachment to the compartments 10, all serve to hold the` compartments 10 inV their cylindrical forni. In this manner, the, simple and inexpensive formation of theY metal parts can be utilized and the light weight of the metal can be used to its best advantage in the design described. Since only metal parts and the nbre-board floors are used, the house is virtually vermin-proof, and, as mentioned and wherever desirable, the floors 19 can be removed for cleaning or the like as the brads 21 can be readily Withdrawn from the shown position so that the iloors can be taken out and replaced by simply re-inse'rting the floors, with the brads 21 also being reinserted to their shown positions.

While la specific embodiment of this invention has been shown and described, it should be understood that certain changes could be made therein, and the scope Vof the inand presenting a central. space; therebetween. and each. of said walls having an entrance opening faced' -to the.

outside of they circle,.thetop edges of: said walls being pitched upwardly toward the axis of saidcircle, and a conically, shaped. roof'attached to said'walls` -andfhaving av hole coaxial with` and smaller than said space and with.

said'v roof. being disposed; with` the apex thereof being co. axial with saidaxis of said circle andf of: a. diarneterto` span all said Walls to` overhang thev same, the pitch of said roof being greater thanathatof saidy walls to provide clearance between saidy -top4 edges. and said; roof' at the locations toward saidl axis. fon Ventilating saidtcompartments through saidentrance openings and saidclearance and saidv hole.

2. A colony birdhouse comprisingy aplurality of circularly disposed walls disposed' back-to-back and each having a ceilingless upper edge and each of said walls having an entrance opening on the outwardly.` faced front side thereof, two vertically spaced apart connectors disposed intermediate said walls and connected thereto for securing the latter together, saidr connectors having` vertically aligned openings therein with the upper opening being a threaded opening, a pitchedl roof attached to said walls atr said upper'edges andv said-front sides thereof and said roof having a hole therein in the apexfthere of, the pitch of said roof being suflicient to space the latter from said upper edges atA the rear sides of said walls for providing ventilation passages through saidl Ving cylindrically shaped and disposed in a circle' in a horizontal planeI with the axes., thereof vertically disposed and each of said walls having an entrance opening faced to the outside of the circle, said walls including backs fastened together, the -top edges of said, walls being pitched upwardly toward the axis of said circle, and a conically shaped roof attached to said Walls at the fronts thereof above said, entrance openings, said roof having a lhole and said roof being disposed with the apex thereof `co-axial withy saidY axis of -saidcircle and of a diameter to spanall said wallsAv to overhang thesarne, the pitch ofsaid'roof being greater than that of'said walls to provide clearance betweensaid` top edgesand said roof at the locations toward said axis for VentilatingV said compartments through'saidentrnace `openings and said clean ance and said hole.

4. A colony birdhouse Vcomprising a plurality of cy lindrical walls of sheet metal disposed back-to-back in a circle and including an overlappedV seam` on the back of each and each having-a ceilingless upper edge and eachof said walls having an entrance openingen theoutwardly faced front side thereof, a connector disposedw intermediate said Walls and riveted thereto through said,`

overlapped seam for securing said walls inl cylindrical shape and together at said backs thereof, said connector having a threaded opening therein,va conically shaped pitched roof* attached at the` outer circumference thereof to said walls at said upper edges and said front sides of the latter for securing saidv walls together at said fronts thereof, said roofhavingl a hole in the apex thereof, the pitch of said roof Abeing sufcient to space the latter from said upper edges at the rear sides of said Walls for providing ventilation passages through said entrance openings and said' hole in' said roof, and a pole threadedly engaged `in said'V threaded opening for supporting said house in an elevated position.

1,634,209 Reiber June 28, 1927 

